Self-Censoring

Size: 16 × 20 inches
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: March 2024
Status: SOLD

Description:
Self-Censoring explores the silencing and suppression of truth through the use of the zipper motif. The zipper represents the pressure to remain silent and the restriction of expression.

On the left side of the painting, a Woman of Color who is hearing sits on a chair with a zipper over her mouth, symbolizing the silencing of her voice and the suppression of what she may want or need to say. On the right side, a Deaf Woman of Color sits on a chair with a zipper over her hands, symbolizing the restriction of her ability to communicate through sign language and the suppression of her visual voice.

By placing these two figures side by side, the painting explores different forms of silencing and censorship while highlighting the intersection of race, gender, disability, language, and communication. The work asks viewers to consider who is allowed to speak, who is silenced, and how systems of oppression can limit a person’s ability to express truth and identity.